My original major in college was Criminal Justice, but then I switched to Education. I’ve always explained that law enforcement is a career that comes in after the problems and bad decisions have already occurred; education is a career that can prevent those bad decisions.
I taught in Cleveland, Texas, then in Sugarland for five years, and then in Clear Lake for 13 years.
Courses I taught during my first 20 years:
English 6th grade Basic
English 6th grade Regular
English I Remediation
English I Regular
English I Enriched
English I Advanced
English II Regular
English II Advanced
English III Regular
English IV Remediation
English IV Regular
Mythology
Horror Literature
Communication Applications
Mystery Genre Appreciation
Student Government and Leadership
Practical Writing
Study Skills
Sociology
Summer School
English I
English II
English III
Night School
English IV
GED Prep Course
In 2010, I published Pip and the Zombies, went to work for Barnes and Noble, and did some freelance editing.
In 2012, I went to work for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice teaching a Adult Basic Education/ GED classes.
In 2014, I went to Galena Park to teach writing and then became the English Language Arts department head. My first batch of students (2015) did pretty good.
*The picture at the top is me in New Orleans at my best friend’s wedding and a view of Scotland I took in 2001.
Mr. Skipper 
Thank You, for being the greatest teacher of my life. Not once have I looked back after dropping out of clear lake hs, albeit to think of you. I remember in your class listening to music clips while writing whatever came to mind. That allowed me to express myself and free myself of the tyrannical environment (perhaps the tyranny was my own mind but your class lifted this). Also you had made a positive comment on my writing skills. 🙂 to this day when I write I know someone had believed in me if only it were once. These were all scenarios that didn’t come often in clhs. I was punished by staff for infractions that were insignificant to the broader world. Imperceptible, the impact to my fragile mind this must have been; when at best i was just trying to grasp the world around me. I suffered congenital heart disease during inception. I was told I would not reach the age of twenty.. My clock was ticking so to speak. I am 30 now. To speak of one symptom my condition leaves me with is a missing right ventricle. I have always joked with myself about my relation to a frog. I also received a pacemaker at age 18. Well my main purpose is to thank you for being exemplary during a period of my life that was confusing and scary. The prisoners of Texas will be fortunate.